info:
I usually don't like parking in the city. The traffic stinks, every other
street is one-way and I have to pay for my spot on top of all that.
Apparently, I'm living in the wrong place.

Author Doug DeMuro was recently paid $1,000 just to park his Ferrari 360
Modena on the set of a movie filming in Atlanta. (Isn't that kind of car
compensation enough?) Nobody touched it or did this with it:

There is a down side, though. DeMuro says, "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you
what role it played, or even what movie it was in, as a condition of accepting
that thousand dollars."

So keep your head on a swivel, y'all. I just hope that if you do see this
prancing horse on the big screen, you do it at a theater with its own lot.
Nuts to feeding a meter.

Park it in the forum instead.>>

via [Jalopnik]

photos [Ferrari] and [Jalopnik]

title: It Pays to Own a Ferrari – Literally


info:
It looks like Lotus is expanding their line-up with just another Elise model
when looking at this Elise testing on the Nurburgring. Who in their right mind
doesn't love or covet the Lotus Elise? It's cheap. Reliable. Fast as all get
up. And weighs about the same as a small dog.

"At first it looks mostly like the track only Elise S Cup R with its body kit
and big rear wing," an insider source says. "But then we see that the external
battery isolator switch and the external button for the fire extinguisher are
missing making us believe that Lotus might be working on a road going version
of the Elise S Cup R. If that's the fact, it could probably be revealed at the
Paris motor show in October."

The Elise is literally the benchmark of performance whenever a company or an
individual wants to create a lightweight sports car. Seriously, every single
light sports car since the model's inception has been bench marked against it.

The Boxster, the 4C, the Toyobaru twins, even some other weirder cars have
been bench marked from the Elise, at least in the handling department, like
the Hyundai Equus.

That's why whenever we all get wind of a new Elise, you start to see every
auto journalist start to salivate and start ringing up the UK to press the PR
reps for a drive when it finally debuts. And I'm guessing the folks at Lotus
just got a hell of a lot of phone calls.

Earlier this week, our spy photographers caught an Elise going around the
Nurburgring. For some that's not news. Elises are there all the freaking time.
But this one had something different about it. A MASSIVE REAR WING!

Ok, so there was a lot more to the car than the wing, but seriously, that
thing is huge! In addition to the rear spoiler, the front lip spoiler and the
rear under tray look to be going for metric tons of down force.

But here's the thing, the Elise has never been that powerful to really need
all this downforce. Couple this with the fact that Lotus is being fairly tight
lipped about the car which makes us think that it's possibly a mule for
something coming soon.

Let's hope everyone's favorite lightweight sports car is going to be debuted
soon. Here's what I hope is actually under that skin!

Join the Lotus fanatics in the forum.>>

Follow @jonathon_klein

title: Lotus Testing “Something” at Nürburgring


info:
Adem Solmaz is pure fan of one special car: the BMW Z1 roadster. Watch his
story and find out what's the unique feature of the BMW Z1.

title: A BMW Z1 Fan Story


info:
Update:

Happy Friday!!

HRE 20" RS103's
IND Color Matched Reflectors
IND Gloss Black Side Vents
IND Key Delete Color Match Driver

Update to rear suspension w H&R 435i Rear Sport Springs + M3/M4 H&R 50474
Front Springs

Original Post:

Almost 1 month has passed since we took delivery of our F80 M3 and have
enjoyed every minute of her!

We have been taking a few pics along the way but havent had a second to start
the build thread so here we are posting up some pics.

Loving every minute and excited to bring some great performance mods to the
community.

We picked up the M3 from Encinitas BMW from Ash Kashani who by the way was
great to deal with. All paperwork via email/fax and the salesman himself
delivered the car up to our warehouse. Great service! Highly recommended.

Some stock photos:

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM, email or call us anytime
and we will do our best to get you the info you are needing.

title: F80 M3 Sitting on HRE RS103 Wheels and H&R Springs


info:
Last weekend I got to go to my first ever race where I had press credentials!
To say I was excited is just not the right word to describe me jumping up and
down, shouting "WOOO HOOO BITCHES," and generally acting like a complete fool.

This all started when I found out I could apply for press credentials after
getting them for the LA Auto Show. I knew that the TUDOR United Sportscar
Championship was coming up in a few weeks so I talked to my editor John, and
asked him if he would be interested in doing some stuff with the race.

He said that would be awesome and so I contacted Road America. I figured it
would take a few days or at least a week to hear that "I didn't have enough of
a racing background to qualify for the creds" so my hopes were definitely not
up. Then two hours after I submitted my credentials, I got a confirmation
email from Road America saying I was in! I WAS IN!

I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know what to do? All I knew was how to
get to Road America, after that, it was a complete crap shoot. How do you
dress for events like this? Is it casual? Professional? Should I buy a fire
suit?

I asked everyone at the office, and everyone on Twitter what I should do. One
friend said wear a kilt and act like a loon. In hindsight, I probably could
have gotten away with it, but I didn't do that. I figured business casual
would probably be cool and then spent the next two weeks not being able to
sleep from the excitement.

Finally, the Friday came, I made my two hour trek to RA and after a signing my
life away, I got….A wristband. I don't know what I expected, I just figured it
would be some form of lanyard, or tag, or cap that said news on it. Something
a bit more special.

But no matter, I was in! I was greeted by the sound of spec Miatas running
around the track which is one hell of an introduction. They sound like coked
up bees, buzzing around at super high frequencies, trying to burrow into your
skull! It's fantastic.

I made my way to the media office where, as some of you might have read, I
didn't really fit in. It was very much and clique, and I definitely wasn't
part of it.

In an industry that has been nothing short of brilliant in helping me out and
making me feel welcome, these people single handedly brought me back down to
earth. After spending the first day primarily in the office, I chose not to go
back for the following days.

Well that and they gave away my seat to someone else. So I said f' em and hung
out with the drivers and track workers, because those people were nice.

The next two days are a whirlwind of heat, noise, desperately trying to walk
the gargantuan four miles of track, with massive elevation change, and more
heat and noise. But let me tell you, it was all worth it.

Saturday night I almost collapsed from heat exhaustion, and have sun burn like
you wouldn't believe. I spent the whole time past the fences, up close with
drivers, up close with million dollar racecars, eating ice cream on the fence
while taking pictures as the cars flew past me and destroyed my hearing. To
say it was epic is an understatement. It was just fantastic.

Qualifying and practice, and the smaller support races were great, and I would
highly recommend anyone to go and see them. However, the headlining race for
the TUSC was disappointing. It could only be described as, "And we're back to
a full course caution." You can read the full report here and here.

But in all honestly it didn't matter. It didn't matter people were rude or
dicks to me, it didn't matter that the heat was oppressive, it didn't matter
about the walking, although I did bring my bike for Saturday and Sunday. And
it didn't matter that the race wasn't spectacular.

None of these reasons matter, why, because no one could take away the fact
that I had worked my ass off to get here. I finally got press credentials. I
did that. I didn't have them handed to me, I worked for them. I continue to
work for them. This wasn't just a race to cover and shoot pictures. It was a
victory. And it was awesome.

Because I was shooting all weekend, totaling some 6000 images, I'll be
creating smaller posts that deal with only one manufacturer at a time, and
only my favorite shots so stay tuned! Up first will be BMW!

Join the victory party in the air-conditioned forum.>>

Follow @jonathon_klein

title: My First Press Race: Victorious at TUCC


BMW M4 Wrapped in Green-Grey. Ick.


info:
The automotive world needs more people like Mike Kelty. Mike has seemingly
done the impossible. Mike lives in the quite little village of Empire
Michigan. Empire is known for their proximity to the Sleepy Bear Dunes Nation
Lake Shore, voted the most beautiful place in the U.S. back in 2011.

Kelty has worked tirelessly to bring back the Empire Hill Climb. The Empire
Hill Climb is a relatively short run up a paved access road leading to a
scenic picnic area. The event will be held September 20th 2014 from 8:00 A.M.
to 5:00 P.M. The climb's hay day was back in the sixties and seventies, before
a small subdivision enveloped what was the staging and starting line area.

Being that the area at the base of the hill is now residential; making the
revival happen was no easy feat.  There were insurance and liability issues,
bureaucratic red tape to deal with, and of course the homeowners that were
being asked to put up with loud race cars in their front lawns.

I live just a few minutes from Empire and I don't think that there are words
to describe my excitement for this event. I grew up near Mid-Ohio Sports Car
Course and loved going to the track with my father. We moved north to Benzie
County in 1988, a couple hundred miles from the closest permanent road course.

Having a hill climb this close to home is unbelievable. The hill climb will be
a National Auto Sports Association (N.A.S.A.) sanctioned event and sponsored
by Hagerty collector car insurance. By N.A.S.A. rules the cars will all be
required to have an approved roll cage as well as other stringent safety
requirements. The 'Run-what-ya'-brung" era is surely behind us.

I have been asked to man the timing station at the finish line and I could not
be more thrilled. We are not accustomed to many motorsports events up here in
the Northern Lower. I will be posting pictures of the event as well as getting
some "Then and Now" pictures of the course itself.

If you, or someone you know, has a N.A.S.A. approved racecar and want to take
part in a fun weekend event in a beautiful part of the country, I urge you to
check out the Empire Hill Climb Revival Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/EmpireHillClimbRevival) and get registered!

See you at the Hill Climb! Join the discussion in the forum.>>

title: Got a Racecar? Sign Up for the Empire Hill Climb Revival


info:
The ability to buy a car as expensive and exclusive as the Ferrari LaFerrari
is a privilege. Now comes news that just getting the chance to pay the hybrid
horse's $2-million list price is also a privilege - one for which some are
paying an additional $1.68 million.

Peter Brook, Oracle Finance managing director, said, "It's a buying frenzy out
there at the moment for Ferraris and nothing demonstrates that like the
million-pound premiums we're seeing for the LaFerrari."

Even the Enzo, the last flagship Ferrari, is going for prices that have
doubled in recent years. We'll just have to wait to see what kind of financial
figures the LaFerrari is able to pull when it's as old as its predecessor. The
Italian automaker will produce 499 of the former; it made only 399 of the
latter.

Buyers of other exotics, such as the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder, are
paying outrageous premiums, too. However, the pre-sticker prices for which
they're forking over piles of cash pale in comparison to those attached to the
LaFerrari. Hit the link below to see exactly how much they are.

Join the poor but happy people in the forum.>>

via [Carscoops]

photos [Ferrari]

title: LaFerrari Buyers Willing to Pay Mega Bucks


info:
BMW has introduced the F15 X5 Security Plus model, which will be unveiled at
the 2014 Moscow show late this month. Here's info on the X5 Security Plus, via
BMW:

The risk of armed violence - and in particular, attack with automatic weapons
like the AK-47 - is a fact of everyday life for certain customers. In response
to this threat, a new level of vehicle security is required. At the same time,
more and more people want Sports Activity Vehicles, with all the versatility
that they offer to go anywhere and do anything.

BMW is the first manufacturer to respond to these two demands and offer a new
degree of security. The result is the new BMW X5 Security Plus, which offers
high level of security on the move and comfortably accommodates up to four
people.

Interior

The interior of the BMW X5 Security Plus is designed to deliver intuitive ease
of use and maximum comfort, with features such as a raised seating position, a
driver-focused cockpit layout and the innovative iDrive system. This also
helps make the vehicle safer. Because if you feel at ease and in control of
the situation, you will be able to react better to danger.

Colours, leathers, fine-wood trims: with the BMW X5 Security Plus, you have
almost limitless design possibilities. As you would expect, a large number of
options from the BMW Individual range are included in these.

Armor

The security glazing in the BMW X5 Security Plus is made of a security glass
laminate with a polycarbonate coating on the inside to prevent spalling. It
offers protection not just against attacks with blunt instruments and
handguns, but also against the world's most widely used firearm, the AK-47.

BMW uses moulded parts in the BMW X5 Security Plus which precisely follow the
contours of the standard model. This way, all the normal airbags can be
incorporated, without the cabin feeling any less spacious.

Sit here, and you know you're safe: the edges of the doors, the places where
windows meet frames and the joins between body panels are some of the most
vulnerable areas of the vehicle to gunfire. But in the BMW X5 Security Plus,
these areas are reinforced with steel armour, ensuring that neither bullets
nor splinters can penetrate the passenger compartment.

Chassis / Electronics

The electronic driver aids and suspension settings have been modified to
ensure optimum driving dynamics with the extra weight of the armour.

Certification

The BMW X5 Security Plus meets protection level VR6 (tested as per BRV 2009
guidelines), meaning it is also secure against the world's most widespread
firearm, the AK-47.

The vehicle is officially certified as a whole unit. The BMW X5 Security Plus
is subjected to tests which involve hundreds of rounds being fired at the
finished vehicle, to ensure protection against fire from automatic weapons
like the AK-47. This official certification is only given where the complete
vehicle - and not just the materials used in it - has successfully stood up to
the necessary ballistic tests.

BMW xDrive

Having power is one thing, making intelligent use of it is quite another. And
that is exactly what the xDrive all-wheel drive system does in the BMW
Security Plus. However demanding the situation, xDrive will adapt to any
surface to ensure maximum traction at all times. So you stay in total control
of your vehicle. By measuring parameters such as steering angle and the speed
of the individual wheels, xDrive is able to recognise when the vehicle is
threatening to under or oversteer, and react immediately. An electronic clutch
adjusts the division of engine torque between the two axles in a fraction of a
second, so as to ensure power always goes to the wheels with the most grip.
The result is a gripping drive, in every sense.

The BMW all-wheel drive system, xDrive, ensures your BMW X5 has the best
possible traction at all times, enhancing agility and keeping you safely on
track, even on fast bends. Under normal circumstances, it distributes driver
power between the front and rear axles in a 40:60 ratio, and changes this
figure variably when the road surface or overall driving conditions change.

When parking, the system reacts to the need for high manoeuvrability at low
speed by opening the clutch completely so the powertrain functions optimally.
BMW xDrive is regulated by Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and uses
information from the latter system's sensors to monitor road conditions. In
addition, brake force courtesy of DSC is used when there is traction
difference between the two sides of the vehicle and wheel spin is likely.

title: 2015 BMW X5 Security Plus Stops AK-47s


info:
"The all-electric FIA Formula E Championship has today confirmed that its
course cars for the inaugural season will be fitted with Qualcomm Halo™
wireless charging technology."

With the final specification of car set to be announced shortly, the
championship's technical team took advantage of today's final test at
Donington Park to trial two BMW i8 and two BMW i3 models with the aim to
evaluate them for the series' official course cars. Earlier this year, the
German marque was part of the Global Launch event of the Formula E in London.

All four BMWs have been specifically modified to meet FIA requirements, with
one of the BMW i3 models featuring an inductive charging system from Qualcomm
Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), with the remaining three vehicles set to be
adapted at a later stage. The technology has been developed by San Diego-based
Qualcomm Incorporated, one of the official Founding and Technology Partners of
the series and a global leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless
technologies. The Qualcomm Halo™ technology uses resonant magnetic induction
to transfer energy between a ground-based pad and a charging pad fitted to the
underside of the vehicle. The cars can then simply park over the base pad for
charging to start automatically.

The chosen safety car - which will be officially entitled the Qualcomm Safety
Car - will be driven by experienced driver Bruno Correia, whilst the medical
and extraction cars will be overseen by FIA Medical Delegate Dr Phil Rayner
and his team. The cars will be positioned at the end of the pitlane, charging
wirelessly and ready to be rapidly deployed as required during each practice,
qualifying and race.

Steve Pazol, GM, Wireless Charging at Qualcomm Incorporated, said: "Qualcomm
is honoured to be an integral part of FIA's Formula E Championship. As
electric vehicles become more ubiquitous, charging them wirelessly is an
obvious next step in the EV evolution and we are excited to showcase this in
Formula E. Motorsport is a known proving ground for new technologies, and in
addition to our wireless EV charging technology, Qualcomm will be bringing
more of its technologies to bear as the series goes forward."

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, said: "Qualcomm's wireless charging system
is ground-breaking technology and represents an exciting evolution for
charging electric vehicles. Wireless charging has the potential to radically
improve the electric vehicle driver experience and Formula E provides the
perfect platform in which to develop, test and showcase this exciting new
technology."

source: FIA

title: FIA Testing BMW i8 as Official Formula E Safety Vehicles